Alan Olle Explained

Alan Olle
Fullname:Alan Charles Olle
Birth Date:23 July 1924
Birth Place:Melbourne, Victoria
Originalteam:St Kilda CYMS
Height:174 cm
Weight:76 kg
Statsend:1961
Years1:1946–1951
Games Goals1:51 (1)
Years2:1952–1961
Club2:Sorrento
Games Goals2:162 (unknown)
Coachyears1:1982
Coachclub1:Sorrento
Coachgames Wins1:16-18 (non-playing coach)
Careerhighlights:
  • 1953 Sorrento premiership captain-coach
  • 1955 Sorrento B&F and LGK (44)

Alan Charles Olle[1] (23 July 1924  - 12 October 2004)[2] was an Australian rules footballer who played for in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Early life

Olle was born in Melbourne in 1924.

In 1942 he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), serving as a sergeant until he was discharged in 1946.[3]

Football career

He made his debut in the final round of the 1946 VFL season against at the Junction Oval. Between 1946 and 1951 he played 51 matches for the Saints.[4] [5] [6]

In 1952 Olle accepted a coaching role in Sorrento when the Coulter Law restricted payments to VFL players to £3 per week, £7 less than Sorrento's offer. His employer, the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) obliged with a transfer to Sorrento's telephone exchange. Only a year passed before Sorrento was celebrating its first premiership in 18 years, defeating Frankston by 3 points 12-6-78 to 11-9-75 in a thriller.[7] Olle and president Jim Thoms (ex-Footscray) were instrumental in attracting numerous talented VFL/VFA players to the club to mount the 1953 premiership assault including Mike Fitchett (Hawthorn), Dick Kennedy (Melbourne and Fitzroy), Alby Morrison (Footscray), Fred Stafford (1947 Carlton premiers), Ron Wilson (St.Kilda) and Norm Spencer (Brunswick).

Olle had a record-breaking 3-stint association with Sorrento over nine seasons, the first and second as playing coach (1952-1956 and 1959–1961) the third and final as non-playing coach (1982).

Notes and References

  1. Also spelt Allan
  2. Alan Charles Olle's obituary in the Herald Sun, 14 October 2004
  3. Web site: Olle, Allan Charles. World War Two Nominal Roll. Commonwealth of Australia. 11 September 2012. 3 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234059/http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?ServiceId=R&VeteranId=906259. dead.
  4. Web site: Alan Olle . rleague.com . AFL Tables . 11 September 2012.
  5. Web site: South Melbourne v St Kilda - 31-Aug-1946 . rleague.com . AFL Tables . 11 September 2012.
  6. Web site: Alan Olle - Player Bio . Slattery Media . Australian Football . 11 September 2012.
  7. https://j.b5z.net/i/u/10201685/f/Sorrento_Football_Club_history__cont_.pdf Club History